CIRC 066: NHS PAY OFFER – INDICATIVE BALLOT: RAMPTON, ASHWORTH AND BROADMOOR

Following pay submissions made to the NHS Pay Review Body, the Government has offered Agenda for Change staff approximately £1400 for all grades.  There are variations to this for the top of Bands 6 and 7.  Please see the link for the Pay Review Body Response https://www.nhsemployers.org/news/202223-nhs-terms-and-conditions-service-pay-materials.

Following a meeting with all Health Unions, there were clearly different positions taken by individual trade unions in respect of the following:

• Accepting the pay offer with most trade unions holding the view that this is not an acceptable offer.
• Setting up a staff survey/indicative ballots to ascertain the wishes of the membership: this is the position of most trade unions.
• Commencing preparations for a statutory ballot in September which a couple of the unions are going to undertake.

The POA will be asking Rampton, Ashworth and Broadmoor local branch officials to hold an indicative ballot in order to ascertain the views of their members, as to whether they would accept/reject the offer and whether they would be willing to take action up to and including strike action. 

The following 2 questions are to be on the ballot paper which will be made available in due course through local officials.

Question 1 – Are you happy to accept the pay offer?

Question 2 – If the pay offer is rejected, are you willing to take industrial action up to and including strike action?

Please make every effort to maximise the turnout as each trade union is required to meet a 50% threshold in respect of turnout and a 40% threshold in terms of voting for rejection and taking industrial action.  In practice this means a failure to vote counts as acceptance of the offer and against taking industrial action.  Should thresholds be met and there is a vote to reject the pay offer the POA will in consultation with other trade unions be looking to progress a statutory ballot for industrial action, having agreed a timetable and the type of industrial action to be taken.

Whilst undertaking the indicative ballot please could branches check the address, personal e-mail, and grade of the staff and ensure that these are recorded in preparation for any statutory ballot.

Should there be any queries regarding this please do not hesitate to contact Angela Montgomery on the following email address angela.montgomery@poauk.org.uk  or Steve Lewis on research@poauk.org.uk.

 

Yours sincerely

 

STEVE GILLAN
General Secretary